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The Greenock Blitz Memorial
The town of Greenock was heavily bombed by the German Air Force during WWII, on the nights of 6th and 7th of May 1941.
The district was specifically targeted due to its extensive shipyards, docks and military anchorages which were a key part of the war effort. These managed to escape any major damage, but the rest of the district suffered extensive damage which resulted in 346 mostly civilian deaths in Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow.
25,000 homes were damaged in Greenock and a further 5,000 were completely destroyed. The east end of the town suffered most as this was where most of the industry was located.
A starfish decoy* on the hills south of the town was activated on the second night of the blitz and this is credited with saving many lives in the town.
A memorial to the victims of the blitz was unveiled on 6th May 1951. This white granite structure stands on a small landscaped mound around 200m from the main entrance to the cemetery on South Street.
* Starfish sites were large-scale night-time decoys created during WWII to simulate burning towns. The objective was to divert German night bombers from their intended targets so they would drop their ordnance harmlessly over the countryside. The Greenock starfish decoy was located off the Old Largs Road, opposite Whinhill golf course.
The district was specifically targeted due to its extensive shipyards, docks and military anchorages which were a key part of the war effort. These managed to escape any major damage, but the rest of the district suffered extensive damage which resulted in 346 mostly civilian deaths in Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow.
25,000 homes were damaged in Greenock and a further 5,000 were completely destroyed. The east end of the town suffered most as this was where most of the industry was located.
A starfish decoy* on the hills south of the town was activated on the second night of the blitz and this is credited with saving many lives in the town.
A memorial to the victims of the blitz was unveiled on 6th May 1951. This white granite structure stands on a small landscaped mound around 200m from the main entrance to the cemetery on South Street.
* Starfish sites were large-scale night-time decoys created during WWII to simulate burning towns. The objective was to divert German night bombers from their intended targets so they would drop their ordnance harmlessly over the countryside. The Greenock starfish decoy was located off the Old Largs Road, opposite Whinhill golf course.
Created: Tue, 3 Feb 2026, Updated: Tue, 3 Feb 2026
7 images use this description: (all images taken in 2024)
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